D-I-E Scotland

1.     DESCRIBE: Think of one episode that has left you confused or that you think was strange/different. Describe the object or situation in concrete, observable terms. What happened in the interaction? What was said? What did you see? What did you feel at the moment?

I couldn’t think just one episode that was only strange, at first some things might have felt weird but in the end you get used to the way locals do things. Most situations that left me confused were because of Scottish accent and slang.  There were times when I had to ask maybe even five times before I understand what they were trying to say to me. This kind of situations happened more often when talking to older people. Young people were almost always understanding and they talked so that I could understand.

2.     INTERPRET: Think of possible explanations (interpretations) for what you observed or experienced. From your cultural perspective, try to explain why you think this situation or experience occurred? Try to find at least 3 different interpretations of the interaction or occurrence. What cultural information have you used to produce these interpretations?  

I think this kind of things are common no matter where you live. There is always regional differences in speech. If you are from southern Finland you might find it hard to understand northern Finnish slang.

3.     EVALUATE: Evaluate what you observed or experienced. What positive or negative feelings do you have regarding the situation? Consider how you might feel if you were a member of the host culture and held the dominant cultural values and beliefs?

These kind of situations didn’t leave me any kind of hard feelings. I think it only improved my English and increased my vocabulary.

D-I-E Scotland

D-I-E, Joonas Nuolioja, Scotland